In today's cars it has become standard to have a specific key fob for each driver of the vehicle. In the vehicle, each fob is “tied” to numerous potential functions and driver preference settings (e.g., radio presets, driver positioning, mirror positioning, and the like). In known passive entry systems, the driver preference settings are usually applied based on a fob identification found in a signal from the fob which allows entry into the vehicle. However, the driver may leave the doors of the vehicle unlocked when, for example, the vehicle is in a garage of his or her home. With current passive entry systems, the driver preference settings would not be changed if the driver accessed the vehicle without using his or her key fob. Rather, the driver identification would default to the previous values set at the last opening of the driver's door handle with a valid key fob. This can create confusion and frustration for the driver of the vehicle.
For example, a husband and wife may own and share a vehicle equipped with a passive entry system. The wife may access the vehicle using her key fob and then leave the vehicle unlocked in the garage. If the husband then enters the vehicle, the identification for the husband can be confused because the vehicle only recalls the identification of the wife, who was the last driver to open the front door handle carrying a valid key fob. Because the doors of the vehicle were unlocked, there was no fob identification present at the driver's door handle when the husband entered the vehicle. As such, even though the wife is not operating the vehicle, the driver preference settings are set for the wife and not the husband.